Projector illuminous system having optical gobo

ABSTRACT

An illuminous apparatus for a projector is disclosed. The illuminous apparatus can improve the disadvantage of excessive high illumination of stray light beam from the light source of projector and enhance the contrast effect of projecting image a projector. The illuminous system includes a light source, a converging-light system for converging the light beam coming from light source, and a P-S converter. The P-S converter is for receiving the light beam of the converging-light system of a projector and polarizing and transmitting the light beam into the color management system (CMS) of the projector. The characteristic of the illuminous system is as follows: a gobo is provided in between the converging-light system and the P-S converter. Moreover, a plurality of apertures is provided in regular array disposed at the interval of the gobo. The gobo is used for shielding part of the light beam transmitting into the P-S converter.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to an illuminous apparatus of a projector, and more particularly, relates to an illuminous apparatus of a projector with a specific optical gobo.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Projector is one of the essential apparatus in the office. At present, the popular LCD projector has become the main stream of the new type of projector. Generally speaking, the projector structure of the prior art is composed of three parts—an illuminous system, a color management system (CMS) and a projecting system. The illuminous system includes a light source of projecting type of projector and converging-light system. The color management system separates an incident light beam into a plurality of light beams according to the color of beam or the polarization state, finally, combines all of the light beams and transmits into the projecting system, while the projecting system makes the incident light beam project an image.

[0003] Generally speaking, the light distribution transmitted from a good light source has to be uniform, that is, its original light beam must be parallel light beam as possible so as to reduce the stray light transmitting into the CMS. As far as the image effect of the prior art is concerned, since the stray light beam will seriously affect the color purity and contrast effect of the projecting image in the projecting system, these stray lights from the illuminous system and the CMS are regarded as the key factor for determining the quality of the image projecting. In the light of a LCD projector, the conventional convergence light system makes light distribution uniform and transforms the circular light distribution of the original light beam from the light source into a rectangular distribution of LCD panel. Currently, the common convergence light system includes a lens array that can change the light beam from a light source into a point light source in array type. In the meantime, this array type of point light source is superimposed and outputted to the CMS such that the light beam transmitted into the CMS possesses the characteristic of uniformity.

[0004] The illuminous system of the present LCD projector needs to use a bulb with high wattage according to the demand of high illumination. The high illumination light source will generate serious thermal effect in the color management system, thereby, it's apt to damage the optical components and LCD panels. As a result, it will shorten the life of the optical components, and the optical characteristic will be lowered accordingly.

[0005]FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the stray light beam generated by the incident beam of the light source transmitting at a wide angle according to the illuminous system of the prior art of the projector. As shown in FIG. 1, the illuminous system of the conventional projector includes a light source 10, two lens arrays 11 & 12 and a p-s converter 13. Besides, the conventional projector also includes a color management system 14 where a lens 141 of which has the light beam of the illuminous system transmit into. The p-s converter is to polarize the beam outputting from the lens array 11 & 12, for instance, to have the incident non-polarized light beam transform into a polarized light beam in S-state and output to the color management system. Since the light beams originated from the light source is not completely parallel and the light beam outputting from the lens array 11 & 12 have light beam components in a wide angle. These light beams, after passing through the p-s converter 13, form stray light beam incident to the color management system 14. Moreover, due to the non-complete focusing of the lens array 11, the light beams outputting from the p-s converter 12 do not transforming into S-state polarization beam completely. These non-S-state or non-P-state polarization beams generated because of the incomplete polarization will deteriorate due to the increasing of non-parallel light beams. The above-mentioned stray light beam in the CMS system, after several times of reflecting and transmitting, finally form a portion of projecting image, thereby, greatly affect the chromatic purity and contrast effect of the projecting image.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] An object of the invention is to provide an illuminous apparatus of a projector that can improve the disadvantage of excessive high illumination of the light source and enhance the contrast effect of the projecting image. To attain this object, the invention provides an illuminous system having an illuminous apparatus and a color management system (CMS). The illuminous system includes a light source, a light converging system, a P-S converter, and a gobo. The light converging system is for converging the light beam coming from the light source. The P-S converter is for receiving the converging light beam and polarizing and transmitting the light beam into the CMS. The characteristic of the illuminous system is as follows: a gobo is provided in between the light converging system and the P-S converter, and a plurality of irregular disposition of array of apertures at the intervals for shielding the light beam transmitting into the P-S converter is also provided. In this way, the gobo can diminish the stray light beam transmitting into the CMS. Moreover, the illuminous system can prolong the service life of components and maintain the optical characteristic, and enhance the contrast effect of the projecting image in the projector.

BRIEF DSCRIPTION OF TH DRAWING

[0007]FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the stray light beam generated by the incident beam of the light source transmitting at a wide angle of illuminous system of the projector according to a prior art.

[0008]FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing how a gobo shields an incident beam transmitting at a wide angle of an embodiment in accordance with the invention.

[0009]FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a disposing relation of a gobo in an illuminous system of a projector of an embodiment in accordance with the invention.

[0010]FIG. 4a is an appearance for a lens disposed in the illuminous system of a projector of the 1^(st) embodiment in accordance with the invention.

[0011]FIG. 4b is an appearance for a gobo disposed in the illuminous system of projector in association with the lens shown in FIG. 4a in accordance with the 1^(st) embodiment of the invention.

[0012]FIG. 4c is an appearance of another type of gobo in accordance with the 1^(st) embodiment of the invention.

[0013]FIG. 5a is an appearance of a lens disposed in the illuminous system of a projector in accordance with the other embodiment of the invention.

[0014]FIG. 5b is an appearance of a gobo disposed in the illuminous system of projector in association with the lens shown in FIG. 5a in accordance with the other embodiment of the invention.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE PRFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, the illuminous system of a projector of an embodiment according to the invention includes a light source 20, a lens array 21 & 22, a P-S converter 23, and a gobo. The light source 20 and lens array 21 & 22 form converging-light system of the illuminous system. The light beam coming from light source 20 transmits through lens array 21 and forms an image in front of the lens array 22. Moreover, the light beam transmits through the lens array 22 to achieve the effect of light uniformity. Subsequently, the light beam, being transformed after transmitting through the P-S converter 23, transmits into the color management system (CMS) 24 of the projector. The gobo being positioned in between the light converging system and the P-S converter has a plurality of irregular disposition of array of apertures at the intervals for shielding the light beam transmitting into the P-S converter. As shown in FIG. 4b, a plurality of apertures which are strip-like openings having the same size is disposed in an array of equal pitch. As shown in FIG. 2, part of the luminosity of the light beam forms a light beam transmitting at a wide angle due to incomplete focusing of the lens array. This light beam transmitting at a wide angle is shielded by the gobo 25 before the light beam transmits into the CMS 24, thereby, the stray light beam of the lens 241 transmitting into the CMS is greatly reduced. Consequently, the above-mentioned object of lowering the luminosity of the light beam incident into the CMS 24 and reducing the stray light can be achieved.

[0016] In addition to the above-mentioned function, the purity of the polarizing light beam outputed from the P-S converter can be greatly improved since the gobo 25 can shield the stray light in advance before the light beam passing through the P-S converter 23. As shown in FIG. 3, the P-S converter 23 includes a plurality of overlapped polarizing beam-splitter (PBS) 231 and a plurality of quarter-wave plate 232 which is disposed at the intervals. Among them, the PBSs in strip-shape are overlapped to become a PBS combination in plate-shape while the quarter-wave plates 232 are disposed at interval in rear of the PBS combination. Based on this disposition, the non-polarized light beam of the incident P-S converter after transforming into polarizing light beam in S-state, transmits into the CMS 24. Since most of the stray light has been shield in advance by the gobo 25 before the light beam passing through the P-S converter 23, thereby, the incident angle of the light beam incident into the P-S converter 23 will not be excessively large. For this reason, the light component of incomplete polarization resulted from the light leaking of the P-S converter 23 can be greatly reduced.

[0017] Moreover, preferably, the disposition of the apertures on the gobo 25 is in accordance with the disposition of the lens unit of the lens arrays 21 and 22. For instance, as shown in FIG. 4a and 4 b, since the lens arrays 21 and 22 are separated into a plurality of rectangular lens units 221, preferably the disposition of the apertures 251 of the gobo 25 are strip-like openings with equal space and equal size.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4b, in order to achieve the object of shielding the light beam at large angle and lowering the luminosity of the incident light beam, preferably, the width 252 of the aperture 251 on the gobo 25 is greater than one half of the interval 233 of each of the PBS 231 in the P-S converter 23. What is more, the preferred width 252 is one half of the interval 233 for not making the luminosity ,of the light beam of the incident CMS 24, too low.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 4c, in addition to the above-mentioned disposition having gobo 25 with strip-like aperture 251, one can also has a gobo 27 disposed with net-like aperture 271 that can efficiently achieve the object of providing gobo 27 as it has a disposition of aperture in two-dimension. Moreover, the longitudinal width 272 of the net-like aperture 271 possesses the same preferred condition as the width 252 of the strip-like aperture 251.

[0020] According to another embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 5a and FIG. 5b, the lens array 26 of an illuminous system of a projector appears an annular disposition of a polygon. Similarly, the gobo 28 in accordance with this kind of lens array also has the disposition of concentric annular array of aperture 281.

[0021] It is known from the foregoing description that preferably the gobo provided by the invention is in accordance with the disposition type of the lens array in the illuminous system of a projector. That is, different type of disposition of the lens unit in a lens array is corresponding to different type of disposition of aperture in a gobo in order to achieve effectively the object of shielding the stray light. The gobo of the invention is not limited to any specific disposition type of apertures, the appearance of the aperture of the embodiment depends on the type of lens array employed by the illuminous system of a projector.

[0022] While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An illuminous system having an illuminous apparatus and a color management system (CMS) comprising: a light source; a light converging system, for converging the light beam coming from the light source;and a P-S converter, for receiving the converging light beam and polarizing and transmitting the light beam into the CMS; wherein the characteristic of the illuminous system is as follow: a gobo is provided in between the light converging system and the P-S converter and having a plurality of irregular disposition of array of apertures at the intervals for shielding the light beam transmitting into the P-S converter.
 2. The illuminous system having an illuminous apparatus and a CMS of claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures are strip-like openings having same size and disposed in an array of equal pitch.
 3. The illuminous system having an illuminous apparatus and a CMS of claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures are rectangular openings having same size and disposed in an array of equal pitch.
 4. The illuminous system having an illuminous apparatus and a CMS of claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures are disposed in concentric array and having same size and equal pitch of polygonal openings.
 5. The illuminous system having an illuminous apparatus and a color management system (CMS) of claim 1, wherein the width of each of the apertures of the gobo is greater than or equal to one half of the interval of the P-S converters,
 6. The illuminous system having an illuminous apparatus and a CMS of claim 1, wherein the converging-light system further comprising at least two sets of lens array disposed one after another along the light path.
 7. The illuminous system having an illuminous apparatus and a CMS of claim 6, wherein the disposition type of the apertures of the gobo depends on the lens disposition type of the lens array.
 8. The illuminous system having an illuminous apparatus and a CMS of claim 1, wherein the P-S converter further comprising a combination of a plurality of Polarization beam splitters (PBSs) disposed on the light path and a plurality of quarter-wave plates.
 9. The illuminous system having an illuminous apparatus and a CMS of claim 8, wherein each of the PBSs is in strip-like shape and is combined into a plate-like shape of PBS combination by overlapping the adjacent PBSs.
 10. The illuminous system having an illuminous apparatus and CMS of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of quarter-wave plates is disposed respectively at interval in the back of the light path where the combination of the PBSs is located. 